Palermo (sicily) any itea?

[pearly girl]

we will be in palermo in oct 2011 and have a day in Palermo, italy. Has anyone got any suggestions on anything great to do. We are willing to drive if need be. Angrigento, is it far from palermo, or should we stick with the town itself or something nearby?:confused:

[Karennella]

Be very very cautious about driving in Palermo. We have, and were there last year, and even if you are fearless, the traffic gridlocks constantly. It is said to be the second worst traffic is Europe, after Naples.

You can see a lot in Palermo by walking or by possibly getting a taxi or buses. It is well worth visiting Monreale which is a few ks out of the town.

[Mxmom242]

We'll be in Palermo The end of October 2011, for a day. Any tips on DIY? I'm not afraid to do research and plan it, just don't know what's best to see. and what isn't really worth the trouble.

[Karennella]

The Capella Palantina in the Palazzo del Normanni has really beautiful mosaics. I recommend going to Monreale, 8ks from the city to see the cathedral as well as the nice surrounding shops. We enjoyed the cathedral in Palermo itself as well as the markets. Good ordinary shopping.

[LovesSicily]

we will be in palermo in oct 2011 and have a day in Palermo, italy. Has anyone got any suggestions on anything great to do. We are willing to drive if need be. Angrigento, is it far from palermo, or should we stick with the town itself or something nearby?:confused:

 

Stick with Palermo and Monreale as suggested. Agrigento is approximately 56 miles from Palermo, at least a two hour drive one way plus the need to navigate your rental car out and back into Palermo, which is not much fun nor advisable just for a day trip.

[bonnieg]

We have an upcoming port day in Palermo. Is it worth it to take the train to Celafu? We would spend half a day in Celafu then the afternoon in Palermo.

[jwds]

We have an upcoming port day in Palermo. Is it worth it to take the train to Celafu? We would spend half a day in Celafu then the afternoon in Palermo.

 

I've done both and would strongly recommend Monreale over Cefalu.

[Karennella]

Another reason, other than the traffic, I would not recommend rental cars for a single day in Italy is the time it takes to pick them up. We rented a car last year in three different places; Milan airport, Cagliari in Sardinia and in Trapani airport in Sicily. At Milan there was a very long queue of very irritated men (they were all men) dressed in suits, on their mobile phones explaining why they were going to late for their meetings (we speak Italian) The staff were working flat out but there were not enough staff.

In Cagliari it took three people about a half hour to deal with each client. They seemed to be in holiday mode, and frequently stopped for a chat and giggle. Trapani was the best but only one person working. We returned our first car to Padua and even to return it took about an hour.

And all this with my husband being fluent in Italian. And even with the navigator preprogrammed it took half an hour to find our way out of Milan airport.

Another year we returned our car to Palermo airport. My husband forgot to refill it with petrol. He had ideas of going out into the traffic again to find some, at which stage I threatened divorce, then murder, before he agreed to pay the higher rate for them to fill it up.

[LovesSicily]

Here are two website which might be useful in determining timing and what is of interest: www.bestofsicily.com and www.trenitalia.com.

 

Palermo is so rich in history, the Norman Palace with the Capella Palatina, the Cattedrale, Teatro Massimo, the markets, archeological museum to name a few. Unless you have been to Palermo on a previous trip, it would be a shame to spend half your day in transit and miss so much of the history that has shaped Sicily. Stay in Palermo, see Monreale and enjoy the vibrancy

and exotic atmosphere that is Palermo.

[Bet & Peg]

We'll be in Palermo in September on a Thursday from 1:00 to 8:00pm. From what I've read it seems many places are closed in the afternoon from about 1 to 3pm. We thought of taking a taxi to/from the Capuchin Catacombs.

 

Can you suggest any other sites to see in the city?

 

Any good restaurants not too far from the port? (It seems a shame to pass up the opportunity to enjoy a real Scilian meal??)

 

Thanks much!!

[marylizcat]

We enjoyed the Marionette Museum in Palermo.

[LovesSicily]

We'll be in Palermo in September on a Thursday from 1:00 to 8:00pm. From what I've read it seems many places are closed in the afternoon from about 1 to 3pm. We thought of taking a taxi to/from the Capuchin Catacombs.

 

Can you suggest any other sites to see in the city?

 

Any good restaurants not too far from the port? (It seems a shame to pass up the opportunity to enjoy a real Scilian meal??)

 

Thanks much!!

 

Yes, many places may or will be closed between noon and 3:00/3:30 even some of the historical sites like the Norman Palace.

 

I do not have a specific restaurant recommendation, we have usually eaten "on the run" but if you go to www.tripadvisor.com and search Palermo, Italy and click on the restaurant section a map is on the right side and will show many restaurants with addresses and directions.

 

If you are heading out to see the Cappuchin Catacombs (hours 9-12 and 3:30 to 5:30) you should also see the Duomo at Monreale. The hours I have are 8:30 A.M. to 6:30 P.M. and would fill the siesta gap.

[Softball20]

We will also be there in October, and we have hired Sicily Life Tours to take us around. We've used them on two prior trips for Taormina, and have been very pleased with them. We are starting out at a little village near Palermo, as that's where my family is from, and then we are exploring the surrounding area, including Monreale. They have lots of info on their web site.

 

We, too, are in need of restaurant suggestions, and I will ask Sebastiano from Sicily Life, as well. We will be there on a Sunday, so I'm hoping that too many places won't be closed. I'm really interested in seeing their markets, too, but I do think that most of those will be closed :(

[Karennella]

You may be able to find somewhere special to eat on a Sunday. Our family, on the other side of Sicily near Taormina, took us to a most delightful old vineyard which is now a restaurant. It was full of Sicilian families eating and later playing football and games in the gardens.

As the children go to school on a Saturday, Sunday is THE family day. In the old days this meant a big family meal at home, but these days many people eat out too.

[Hlitner]

For us the highlight of Palermo (some might say there are none) is visiting the Capuchin Catacombs. This is one of the most macabre sites we have seen in the world and fortunately, is not included on most organized tours. It's always nice to visit a place that is not overflowing with tour buses.

 

Hank

[cabincop]

Hlitner I also loved the catacombs of the monks it was a favorite place not your usual like you said, have fun